This invention relates to a new and improved rain gutter cover for being mounted on top of a rain gutter and for preventing entrance into the rain gutter of leaves and other debris which cause rain gutter clogging and the stoppage of rain flow into downspouts or leaders.
As is known to those skilled in the rain gutter art, and as is particularly well known to homeowners having plants or shrubs in their yards close to their house, rain gutters are notorious for collecting leaves and other debris which clog the rain gutter and prevent rain flow into the downspouts or leaders whereby the rain gutter overflows and the rain falls down washing away soil adjacent the house, or other building, and frequently washing soil away from plants or shrubs adjacent the house or other building, and possibly causes entrance of rain into the basement of the house or building.
As is further known to those skilled in the rain gutter art, the rain gutter art is replete with various prior art structures for being mounted atop to the typical open prior art rain gutter for preventing leaves and other debris from collecting in the rain gutter. Such other structures are typified by screen or mesh material which is placed over the top of the open rain gutter to prevent the entrance and accumulation of leaves and other debris. However, since the screen or mesh material is placed on the top of the open prior art rain gutter, leaves, or at least leaf particles, and other debris do enter through the openings in the screen or mesh material and, in time, do cause rain gutter clogging and prevention of rain flow through the downspouts or leaders.
Another problem associated with such prior art screen or mesh material is that it has sharp edges which can puncture and cut the hands of the person installing the material and, such screen or mesh material is often damaged in the process of being removed. Further, upon the rain gutter being clogged underneath such installed screen or mesh material, it is extremely difficult, aggravating and annoying to have to frequently remove the screen or mesh material, clean the leaves or other debris out of the rain gutter, and then replace the screen or mesh material.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the rain gutter art for a new and improved rain gutter cover which, upon being mounted on top of the rain gutter requires virtually no further maintenance, or at most very limited further maintenance, which virtually eliminates the need for constant cleaning and unclogging, and which provides substantially uninterrupted flow of rain through the rain gutter to the downspouts or leaders.
Further, there exists a need in the art for a relatively inexpensive device or apparatus for preventing the above-noted rain gutter clogging due to leaves and other debris which falls into the typical prior art rain gutter open at the top. While the RAIN GUTTER disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,110 patented Oct. 25, 1983, and the LEADER FILTER disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,153 patented Oct. 7, 1986, both issued patents to the same inventor, Robert J. Carey, as the inventor of the present invention, are effective for preventing such clogging, etc., there still exists a need in the art for a comparatively less expensive device or apparatus providing the same prevention of rain gutter clogging which allows the homeowner to buy the cover only instead of the entire gutter as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,110. Still further, the rain gutter cover of the present invention is an improvement over the rain gutter cover of U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,620 patented Mar. 31, 1992 and issued to the same inventor, Robert J. Carey, as the inventor of the present invention.